Katrina Mission 2009

W

We arrived in Slidell, Louisiana after some 9 hours on the road- after screaming and shouting and celebrating (while on the road) the victory of the Eagles over the NY Giants. Talk about miracles!

We spent last night enjoying the hospitality of Cokesbury UMC in Knoxville, TN. The word, AMAZING! doesn't even begin to describe how awesome they have been to us. Besides sharing their wonderful and huge facilities, they made certain we were all settled before they left us for the night. They had cookies and coffee prepared for us- and they were just what the doctor ordered, as we were dead tired from all the traveling (the weather wasn't too bad, but at times, the rain was quite heavy). This morning, while we were busy packing and getting ready to hit the road, their volunteers prepared a hearty breakfast for us: biscuits and gravy, bacon, and blueberry and cinnamon streussel muffins, in addition to a variety of cereals and, of course, coffee and juice. As we finished our morning devotion, we thanked them for showing Christ to us through their gifts.

Dale (the Director of NDRI), met us at Aldersgate UMC, where a rather pleasant surprise awaited us. We had parked in front of what we thought would be our sleeping quarters, but Dale brought us to their brand-new Epworth Center House, a home-away-from-home for all the volunteers. What a wonderful place! There are more beds, a fully-equipped kitchen, with 2 double-door refrigerators, an ice machine, and instead of having to go outside to the trailers to take showers, we have showers and changing rooms INDOORS. GOD is SOOOO Good!

Tomorrow, Allan and I are going to the airport to pick up Diane and Rob Bach, who are flying into New Orleans (they didn't want to miss Chris' games this weekend). We are taking Tom-Tom with us (he has been a most faithful friend all along the way).

We were told (before getting here), that we would possibly be working together in the same house, but Dale told us that there may be a change of plans (too much to do, too few hands). We'll find out more tomorrow morning at our briefing session. We'll keep you posted! We are stepping up, are you?

Reading for the fun of it!

At our new members class, I encourage openness by inviting the new members to ask questions, not just about our church, but about anything else, including the staff and the community around Emilie. One of them wanted to know how did I spend my day off. I told her that I like to goof-off, watch all the TV shows I missed during the week because I had to go to meetings, and, o yes, do nothing, but most of all, I read.

I've always loved to read. There's something about a page filled with words that defies definition. When I was a kid, my parents used to argue a lot... and loud, so I would find a book and read, read, read- until I couldn't hear their voices any longer.

Books are to me, what sports are to Joe, my husband. I learned long time ago NEVER to ask, discuss, inquire, for ANYTHING before, during or after any sports game, especially when the Phillies or the Eagles are playing. Like many others, Joe gets transported to the other dimension when it comes to games- so I sit and watch the game with him for a while, and then I go and find a book and sit back in the recliner... but enter my own dimension through the images that my mind forms through the pages of the book.

The Apostle Paul tells us to: "Examine everything: hold fast to that which is good". So that's what I do. I read just about everything that picks my curiosity: biblical scholarship and devotional life (Buechner, Nowen);fiction: Harry Potter (yes, all of them), non-fiction (biographies), magazines, e-magazines. But my favorite is Christian Fiction. There are so many books to choose from: romance; (Lori Wick); historical (Francine Rivers, T. Davis Bunn); sci-fi (Ted Dekker); mystery (Myers, Terri Blackstock, Dee Henderson, Frank Peretti); comedy (Mark Lowry, Chonda Pierce), and even the home-grown stories of the Amish country as told by Beverly Lewis, to name but a few.

I have tried (unsuccessfully) to kick-start a Reading Club at our church. I will keep trying to do this, but for now, I will continue to read, to goof-off, and to catch up with housework on my 'day off '. I have some books saved on my mp3 (I can hear them while I try to snooze), but it's so not the same!

My next project in the works is a Bible Study based on Eli Stone, Ugly Betty, and Life on Mars. I just need to get my hands on those DVDs as soon as they come out. I'll keep y'all posted, all you have to do is ask!